


Here With Me

by dixons_mama



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Feels, Goat Herder Bucky Barnes, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Insecurity, Love Confessions, M/M, Memories, Past Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Reunions, Wakanda (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21694297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dixons_mama/pseuds/dixons_mama
Summary: Bucky is out of cryo and set to reunite with Steve, but can Steve still love the man that had been The Winter Soldier?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 8
Kudos: 75





	Here With Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thetessie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetessie/gifts).



> This is my Winter exchange fic for thetessie! It was nice to write something soft and sweet for once, but I couldn't resist adding a LITTLE bit of angst!
> 
> Big thanks to Humapuma for being my beta!

As Bucky waited for Steve to arrive, he found himself nervously cleaning his hut.

When there was nothing left to organize or clean, he paced, but eventually he had to go outside. Despite the heat, he needed the fresh air. He hoped it would help to calm his nerves. It didn't.

T'Challa had told him that Steve would be arriving that morning, but now it was almost evening, and he still hadn't shown up. Bucky couldn't help but worry. Was Steve hurt? Had a new fight broken out that required Captain America? Or... had he just changed his mind? Bucky frowned at the thought, but he knew it _was_ a possibility. They hadn’t really had the time to discuss the past, or if those feelings were still there. 

For Bucky, a fire burned bright in his heart for Steve Rogers and it always would. But Bucky had to accept that… maybe the flame Steve once carried for him had been snuffed out. Steve had every right to move on, Bucky knew. He'd thought Bucky was dead, and now lived in a time when homosexuality wasn't illegal.

Bucky knew he wasn't the same man that Steve had fallen in love with seventy years before. After all, he'd murdered hundreds of innocent people; he’d almost killed Steve more than once; he’d almost killed _his friends_. 

Was there anything left to love? 

Bucky swiped at the tears streaming down his face and clenched his jaw against the sobs fighting to crawl out of his throat. Someone cleared their throat and Bucky turned to find Okoye walking toward him and his heart sunk. Steve wasn't coming.

"Sergeant Barnes," she said, stern as ever, "you are requested at the palace."

"W-why?" He sputtered nervously.

"I am sure I do not know." She replied before turning around and marching away.

Bucky sighed but followed obediently behind her. The Dora Milaje didn't take no for an answer.

As they approached the palace, Bucky felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t know how he was going to keep a stoic face as T'Challa told him that Steve wasn't coming. Maybe that he didn't _want_ to come. Bucky was so caught up in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized that they’d arrived at their destination and nearly bumped into Okoye. He stared up at the massive structure and swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"You know the way?" Okoye postulated. Bucky simply nodded and walked inside, dragging his feet as he headed for T'Challa's royal office

Once he was outside the closed doors, he hesitated, trying to compose himself. He could do this. Listen to the news, nod politely, walk back to his hut, and then cry himself to sleep. Easy peasy. Bucky knocked on the door and was startled by the sound of barking dogs. The doors opened and Bucky's jaw dropped.

"Bucky!" Steve shouted happily. He was on his knees with two excited dogs playing in front of him. 

Bucky couldn't believe it, Steve was actually there, and he looked _happy_. Bucky was surprised by Steve's casual attire, he was dressed in worn jeans, and a ridiculously tight tee shirt. Bucky barely remembered the last time he'd seen Steve out of a uniform.

"You're here," Bucky said, a small smile forming on his lips.

Steve frowned before standing up and approaching him."Of course I am," Steve reassured, pulling Bucky into a tight hug.With a shaking inhale of breath, Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve's solid form. "I said I would be here," Steve murmured.

"I know,” Bucky began, “I'm just-" 

He was cut off as the two dogs began jumping excitedly around them. Beaming down at them, Bucky knelt down and the large, silver muzzled mutt jumped up and licked his face. Bucky had always loved dogs and couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to pet one. 

"Who are you cuties? Hmm?" He blustered.

"This is Hilde and Beaux," Steve explained, "I, um, I adopted them.. for us."

Bucky's head snapped upward so quickly he felt like he'd given himself whiplash. Steve's cheeks were pink and he had a nervous smile on his face.

"For us?" Bucky asked. 

Did Steve mean to imply that he was staying with Bucky? He couldn't possibly mean that. Who would want to live in a meager hut with a semi stable hundred-year old man raising goats?

"I know we haven't really had time to talk about it... about _us_ , but I-" Steve stopped when T'Challa loudly cleared his throat. He turned a brighter shade of red, even to the tips of his ears.

"Gentleman, I have much to do. You are welcome to stay in the palace for as long as you please," The King said, smirking at both of them before departing.

Suddenly alone, both of them seemed at a loss for words. Bucky looked down at Hilde and Beaux, who were now sitting and staring up at him with big, goofy grins. Hilde looked like some kind of Chihuahua mix, with markings resembling a German Shepherd while Beaux was a large Labrador retriever mix of some sort. 

Bucky thought they were adorable, and something about their size difference reminded him of how he and Steve had looked together before the war.

Bucky coughed lightly. "So," he ventured, "you were saying?" 

"I still love you, Bucky," Steve announced before Bucky had even finished speaking. Once it was out, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I’m sorry, I know a lot has changed. I wasn’t going to… come at you like that. I understand if you don't have those feelings anymore, but-"

Bucky leapt up and placed his hand over Steve's mouth, silencing him. "I love you, too,” he breathed. “I never stopped, not for a second."

When Bucky removed his hand, Steve smiled brightly and leaned in to kiss him. Feeling Steve's lips on his felt like coming home. Bucky happily kissed back, wrapping his arm around Steve's shoulders. Beaux's sudden bark startled them apart, and they both laughed.

"I heard you have goats?" Steve inquired with a smirk.

"I do," Bucky replied, smiling.

"Well, I'd love to meet them." 

Bucky took Steve's hand in his and began leading him out of the palace. "Let's go, then."

Hilde and Beaux trotted alongside them, never running off, only occasionally stopping to investigate a new smell. 

As they approached the small herd of goats that he cared for, Bucky felt a sudden bout of nerves. Would being out here make Steve realize this wasn't the life he wanted? As if reading his mind, Steve gave Bucky's hand a gentle squeeze.

"It's beautiful out here, I already love it." He said, smiling at Bucky.

Once they were at the fenced enclosure that held the goats, Hilde barked excitedly. The goats walked up to them, but kept a safe distance from the dogs. Steve leaned down to pick up Hilde, and she immediately quieted down. Beaux simply sat and watched, clearly curious about these new creatures.

"Do they have names?" Steve asked as the herd finally came forward, allowing him to pet them.

"Yeah," Bucky grinned, and pointed to each goat, "Maddie, Daisy, Patches, Lily and Millie, and Sam."

Steve burst out laughing. "You named a goat after Sam?"

"I had to, he's so ornery!" Bucky chuckled.

"The goat? Or human Sam?" Steve asked, sounding thoroughly amused.

"Both," Bucky answered, and they both broke out in childish giggles.

When they'd both settled, Steve looked over towards Bucky's hut.

"Uh, you wanna go inside?" Bucky asked hesitantly, nervous again about Steve's reaction.

Steve simply nodded, and Bucky lead the way. 

"Wow," Steve breathed as they entered the hut. Bucky felt anxiety coiling through his body.

"Yeah," Bucky nervously ran his hand through his hair. "I know it's small, especially compared to what you're used to."

Steve placed his hands on Bucky's shoulders and turned him, looking into his eyes. "Bucky, our apartment was tiny. We shared _tents_ all across Europe. I don't care about the size of where I stay, as long as I'm with you."

Bucky felt himself blushing, but he couldn't help smiling at Steve's words. Steve smiled in return, sliding his hands up to hold Bucky's face and kissed him. It was slow, unrushed, but full of heat and passion. When Bucky moaned into the kiss, Steve pulled back, smiling, and rested his forehead against Bucky's.

Suddenly the thought that Steve wouldn't stay, _couldn't_ stay, hit Bucky. Steve was still Captain America, he had priorities far above Bucky.

"How long can you stay?" He asked. Steve frowned and leaned back slightly to look into Bucky's eyes.

"What do you mean?" 

"Steve, you're Captain America, I know you've got people needing you. You have priorities." Bucky turned away, not wanting Steve to see the tears in his eyes.

"Buck," Steve moved to stand in front of him, "I gave the shield to Sam. I'm not Captain America anymore."

Bucky's eyes widened in surprise. "But-"

"No buts, Bucky. I don't want to be that guy anymore. I just wanna be Steve Rogers. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If that's what you want."

"Of course that's what I want. It's what I've always wanted." Bucky pulled Steve into a tight hug, and felt his muscular arms wrap around him.

"Til the end of the line, punk." Bucky whispered.

"Til the end of line, jerk."

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: the names of Bucky's goats (excluding Sam) were the names of my own goats that I had as a child :D
> 
> Thanks to SpecialHell on twitter for organizing this exchange!
> 
> Comments and kudos are always welcome :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter @dixons_mama


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